That Cat Is Weird
by Iwish2knowmyname
Summary: Sometimes you can't ask yourself why or how ... Sometimes you just need to let the cat lead the way cause they know best. And that's what Holly has to do since no one can help her find Gail who mysteriously desappeared. Alternate version of what happens after the first kiss. There's anger, pain, loss and sadness in that story ... But there's love and laugh too. Rate M, Gail-Holly.
1. Chapter 1-Leaves

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **1**

 _ **Leaves**_

 _ **note:**_

 _Okay, I wrote this a long time ago, maybe a year. It was after the last episode of season 5 I guess. When Holly left._

 _So it's taking place somewhere between the start and the end of season 5 and there's not going to be any changes regarding to season 6 actual story. I think I remember placing the story line around a day or few weeks after the wedding thing. So Holly kissed Gail but they're not together yet._

 _I finished Part 1 so every chapter from that part are going to come easy …_

 _But I haven't finished Part 2 and also I have a lot of work and other writings, so I'm going to be slower after chapter 17 or so …_

 _You've been warned._

 **Disclaimer**

 _The original characters are from_ Rookie Blue _tv show and therefore don't belong to me, however "Blue" is mine and so are those words and I will not consent to their use in any commercial way. This is a free story I wrote it that way and I want it to stay that way._

 _ **ooooo**_

(1) Leaves

The first thing the cat could remember was the smell of leaves. Autumn. And voices. The cat knew who she was supposed to find and how. It was, though, a big city. A very big city. And she was a small cat. Yet she marched and after almost an entire day, hours of walking, she found what she was there for. There was a dead body- _person_ laying there. Other _persons_ were taking leaves out of the corpse. By moving them the smell began to be louder. The cat liked it. It was a nice smell. Leaves.

The cat was sad for the corpse though.

She could hear the _persons_ talking. Humans. That's it. _Persons_. She, was not. A _person_ , that is. She was. She had no idea exactly. A cat. Obviously. But she had not a single idea of what it meant. Being a cat.

Just words.

The _persons_ invented them. Words. But she felt that words couldn't really define the whole world. Just theirs. Not hers. Her world didn't need meaning.

\- _White male, around twenty-twenty five. A lot of blood and fight marks. Several wounds on the abdomen, could be gunshots._

The girl was saying. It was a brown haired girl. Woman. Whatever. She had a green coat and glasses on. A pony tail. The cat didn't like the sound of it. "Pony tail".

Lame. Bad word.

In the dark falling, camouflaged by the shadows and the bushes the cat was watching them spinning around this poor dead _person_. The cat licked slowly her left hand. No, not hand. _Persons_ didn't call it a hand.

Bah. She wasn't. A _person_. A cat. She was a cat she liked the idea of it. Being a cat. The word sounded right.

\- _Nash? Are yah' l'right?_

Asked another one. A man. Well. A male anyway, she could tell that much.

- _I'm alright, yeah … thanks Dov. Any words from 27 Division? Gail?_

\- _No. Nothing yet._

Dov? What kind of a name was that!? Wondered the cat.

Lame.

Poor one.

She almost felt sorry for him.

He looked concerned about the one he called Nash. She was nice, decided the cat. Something was calling inside of that _person_ a whole world of broken minds and laughing for nothing. The cat decided she liked that sweetness melted in concern and strength leaking out of this Nash _person_.

She was worried about the corpse. And about something else.

- _We'll find her... We will. Tracy._

 _-It's been eighteen hours Chloe... And a half._

Nash and green-coat were staring at each other. They looked very worried. The night was falling. The cat was relieved that she found the right person.

They started bagging the corpse. That was mind blowing. Why on earth would they put a _person_ into a bag?!

- _I'll meet you at the station_ _OK_ _? I have my car so, I'm going to set the table ready and all..._

Said green-coat to Nash.

- _Sure. O_ _K_ _. Thanks Holly. It's..._

\- _No problem._

Green-coat smiled and lightly pressed her hand against Nash's shoulder, nodding.

Comfort. Humans, sometimes, still used contact comforting. Sometimes they were remembering they were animals too. No words.

No need.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _I will post another chapter tonight or tomorrow, as soon as I have mend any orthographic mistakes left and layout._


	2. Chapter 2-Lunchboxes and Tap-shoes

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **2**

 _ **Lunchboxes and Tap-shoes.**_

 _ **note:**_

 _There is the second chapter as promised._

 **Disclaimer**

 _The original characters are from_ Rookie Blue _tv show, as are the quotes from the show and therefore don't belong to me._

 _However "Blue" is mine and so is this story and I will not consent to their use in any commercial way. This is a free story I wrote it that way and I want it to stay that way._

 _ **ooooo**_

(2) Lunchboxes and Tap-shoes.

 _« Hey, lunchbox. You're not allowed down there. »_

 _« Thanks, appreciated. »_

 _« No, I said, you're not allowed down there! »_

*What is it?*

 _« Me? Oh, no, I am. I need to get some samples. »_

 _« Who are you? »_

 _« The forensic pathologist. »_

 _« Ohwe, well you should have told me that before. »_

 _« Sorry I thought I was obvious. »_

 _« Only to nerds. »_

*Where am I?*

 _« Only to nerds. Can you come back later? »_

 _« You're not up on your medical jurisprudence? We need to determine the cause of death, I test the water for diatoms and if we find diatoms in the bone marrow … Oh did you notice if the femur's still intact? »_

*Holly?*

 _« I'll check later. If the diatoms match we know it was drown, if there isn't any diatoms we'll know the cause of death is something else. I'll need to consult with the forensic anthropologist, I'll grab some leaves, bugs, dirt so I don't have to come back. It helps identify the postmortem... »_

*Where am I?*

 _« Why are you saying all those words? »_

*Keeps turning. Off and on.

Memories.*

 _« Hey lunchbox. You're not allowed down there. »_

Gail was a dark place. _In_ a dark place. Or... rather it was dark. It was warm thought.

Not scary.

 _« Me? Ohwe, no, I am. I need to get some samples. »_

*Well, maybe just a bit. She could hear the steps tapping on the floor.

Wooden floor she'd say. The sound of it was different. The steps were different. Like... lighter maybe. And softer. And...*

 _« You're insane … You know that right? »_

*Memories.*

 _« Hey! Peck! Come here. Does this house look weird to you? »_

 _« We're in suburbia, every house looks weird to me. »_

*The floor. Steps. Tapping the floor.

The voice was different too.

She couldn't really pick up the words or the meaning for that matter. But it was different. She couldn't say how.

Maybe she was scared after all.

Or try terrified.*

 _« Are you thinking what I'm thinking? »_

 _« Yeah. What the hell do you get someone's for a bronze anniversary?! »_

*She was on drugs again, obviously.

The fog was terrible.*

 _« We should celebrate we should go shopping. We should buy shoes. »_

 _« Yes! And weapons! »_

But somehow the warmth was easing the fear. She felt terrible just thinking about that. Thinking about last time. And Jerry. Especially Jerry.*

 _« Plus-one forever. »_

*She felt ok! Warmed up!

And Jerry, Gail? What about Jerry? How does he feels Jerry about you being _warm_?! Really, Gail, WARM!*

 _« You've always been a bitch. »_

*It hurts when you say that Nick.*

 _« You're not exactly the girlfriend type. »_

*You're a jerk, Gail Peck, a selfish little prick that may be in the right place for her, yeah maybe you deserve it after all.*

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Yeah, things are not looking so good for Gail right now, and I have to say … It won't get any better for a while._

 _I will post another chapter tonight or tomorrow, as soon as I have mend any orthographic mistakes left and layout._

 _Please don't hesitate to review._


	3. Chapter 3-Blue grey

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **3**

 _ **Blue grey**_

 _ **note:**_

 _Last disclaimer cause that's annoying and it applies to the whole story anyway._

 **Disclaimer**

 _The original characters are from_ Rookie Blue _TV show, as are the quotes from the show and therefore don't belong to me._

 _However "Blue" is mine and so is this story and I will not consent to their use in any commercial way. This is a free story I wrote it that way and I want it to stay that way._

 _ **ooooo**_

(3) Blue grey

\- Hey you... How?

Holly looked into the cat's blue eyes knowing it couldn't answer. The cat was just sitting near her car. A blue grey cat. Not a spot of any other colour. Very small and thin. Just sitting very calm and staring at her.

\- So... What exactly r'you doing here, cat?

The second she opened the door the cat jumped in and went to sit on the passenger seat.

\- Hey no! Hey!

\- Hey, Holly? Everything fine?

Asked Nash, on the way to her own car.

The night was complete now and the cops cars' lights where making everything look weird and blue.

\- Yah, a cat just got into my car.

\- A cat? Really...

\- Yeah. A grey cat. Well, more blue grey really.

\- Mm... Oh OK. And do you need any help to let it out?

Asked Tracy again, eyebrows up.

\- Mm. I don't know. It's kind of a pretty cat. Maybe I'll deal with it later.

\- Sure.

Nash smiled and nodded. She'd always find Holly pretty weird.

\- OK, then, see you back at the station.

Answered Holly adjusting her glasses. She got in the car and threw her red bag on the back seat. The cat was laying down, eyes almost closed.

\- OK. I'll check later if you belong to anyone. First we're going to the morgue. How do you like that?

The cat yawned and closed its eyes.

\- Well, I'll take that as a yes.

The autopsy room had been cleared, at last it was quiet again. She'd cast everyone out promising to call if anything happened. The cat was sited on the desk at the back of the room. It was just watching Holly cut her way through the skin. She was running the autopsy out loud for her tape recorder.

She liked it, doing autopsies at night when almost everybody was gone. It was just her and the body then.

The mystery to be solved. This person needed her. None really cared about 'em anymore when people where dead. They cared about the facts. Why they died, how, when … They cared about when the body would be ready for funerals. They talked about when the dead was alive. But none cared really for _it_. The dead. As dead as it was. Not the surrounding of it. Just the corpse itself. So she took care of 'em. Made sure they had a last moment in this world with someone taking care. Maybe she wanted to fight their last moments off. Especially the murdered ones. Maybe she just felt someone should care. She was a scientist and like most didn't really believe in God, any gods … But the dead were real. They were here. She couldn't really explain the feeling. It was kind of a special bond she had with them. Dead people. Corpses.

Two hours cutting, weighing the organs. It was a fast and proper job. Easy really. But she was tired now. She'd been up since 7 this morning. 6:46 to be precise.

She was now looking at the body still on the table. Chin on her hands. The cat purring against her chest.

She had start writing the report and stopped in the middle of it.

She was just so tired.

She missed Gail. Gail would be the person she would love to call just now. Or text.

She would make a silly joke. It would make her happy for a second or two. Sometimes it was enough.

Funny how you can get close to someone very fast or never getting close at all.

People.

They're was no saying why exactly one person would get your attention.

Why Gail?

How this weird pale and annoying funny girl got under her skin so fast.

Holly didn't feel the first tears rush out of her tired eyes.

The body on the table was there, a reminder of her absence. A reminder that she couldn't do anything to fight the fact that Gail was missing.

Because it happens. Because there's a lot of crap in this world.

\- Hey... Holly?

\- Hey, Tracy.

Answered Holly with a hoarse voice.

\- Hey... Don't cry, girl. It's gonna be fine. There's good cops at 27 and they're all looking for her OK?

Said Tracy, guessing the reason of her sorrow.

The answer got stuck in Holly's throat.

Gail was dead. It was just that. She was dead. She had to be.

\- Hey, girl... We'll find her OK?

Tracy tried to comfort Holly by gently patting her back. Holly just sat there. She caressed the cat's fur lightly.

\- Yeah. Yeah.

Tracy looked as defeated as she did.

Every time she would look at the clock it seemed another hour had passed, Tracy thought.

It was 9. Nine. So it had been twenty one hours and fifty four minutes. 21:54. And counting. If she compared to the former cases it would leave less than three hours to save Gail.

Tracy closed her eyes a few seconds, trying not to see Jerry's smile before her eyes.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Please don't hesitate to review._


	4. Chapter 4-Fishes

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **4**

 _ **Fisches**_

 _ **note:**_

 _The power of the content can't only be measured out of the seize …_

 _ **ooooo**_

(4) Fishes

The cat liked this _person_. She gave her fish. Real fish. Tomato sardines. Heaven.

\- _You like that ? Good. Because I don't really have cat food._

The person, Holly, caressed her gently while she was liking the plate clean. She liked that too. She was staying. It was a great place to be. Lots of corners and hiding places. Lots of windows and Holly was keeping the little one in the bathroom open.

Good place to be.

Lots of good smells. Like when they were in that place were the dead- _person_ was. Holly was carrying good smells.

And she had fish.

She was the perfect _person_.

- _So I guess it's just you and me then. It seems you don't belong to anyone._

*Oh, no, I do Holly. I belong to you. For now.*

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Okay there is not much content either, but hey, it's a cat._

 _Thanks for review._

 _And to_ qbonbon _I can't spoil the fun … Sorry._

 _All I can say is that Gail is not dead. Yet._

 _And that their suffering isn't over._

 _And that the story doesn't really feel like a regular_ Rookie Blue _episode. It's slightly weirder._

 _As "slightly" as it can get with a cat sharing her thoughts._

 _Please don't hesitate to review._


	5. Chapter 5-Wishes

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **5**

 _ **Wishes**_

 _ **note:**_

 _My imaginary cat told me I should have warned the readers sooner about a few details, like the fact I don't really like McNally, for example. I find her overly annoying._

 _And also, I'm weird like a cat so, the story will be too. I said that already? Oh, well, you can never warn people enough about weirdness._

 _That said I still think it's a good story._

 _Oh and, there is bad words in that chapter. Don't say them. Especially since most of the time it is very misogynist, and a good example of how our world only see women as objects._

 _It is called "objectivation"._

 _But I can say it since I am a bad person. And weird too._

 _ **ooooo**_

(5) Wishes

 _« Hey, Gail! Come-on! Make a wish! »_

 _« OK … I wish you were gone McNally. »_

 _« Whatever. »_

*She remembered that day. Was it yesterday? Today? The day before yesterday?

It was like any other day but lighter. It was after Noelle and Frank's wedding. Yes. Way after. Several weeks. Maybe two or three. It was after the marijuana bust with Oliver too. And after that night she saw Holly with that _slut_ at the Black Penny. That wasn't so long ago. The _slut_. Yes the _slut_ was maybe two or three days ago. Before the boring day with McNally asking her to make a wish to a stupid fountain. Whatever. A boring day on the job with stupid miss-perfect McNally.

She'd still feel the warmth of Holly's lips on hers. She couldn't think of anything else. For two weeks.

Like a weird presence never meant to go away.

The ghost of a moment she wanted to throw away at the back of her mind.

Why would she do that?*

 _« I mean I'm a lesbian. »_

 _« Ohwe. I mean I don't like people. »_

*The shoes were quiet.

And wherever she was, she was still warm. And someone was sleeping near her. She could hear the light breathing. A woman, she'd say.

It was nice. Peaceful.

Why'd she feel that good? Wasn't she supposed to be terrified and lost?

Yes. She was supposed to be. But she was just not. It was good to have time to review your memories sometimes. And she was doing that a lot then.

Yes. It was warm.*

 _« Hey... Gail? »_

 _« What? Ohwe god, another_ "I need to talk to you about mom" _talk, Steve? You got that look all over your face. Puppy-ish. You know I don't like puppies! »_

 _« Gail … Perick has escaped. »_

*That day. When was it? She'd already made a stupid wish to the fountain instead of wishing _him_ dead.

How long after?

She couldn't tell.

Time didn't exist.

And how could she know? Yes, how could she know that Perick would ever escape?! Isn't it the whole point of prisons?! Not to let people escape?!

And weren't brothers supposed to know she wouldn't want to stay away from work on a day like this?

Steve was really a shit brother sometimes.*

 _« Plus-one forever. »_

*That day. That kiss. What was wrong with her?*

 _« OK, stupid fountain. If I give you money you have to grant my stupid wish. I wish to … »_

*She'd hesitated at that point. She remembered that. Not that she didn't know what to wish though.

But it was so stupid.

Stupid sentence.

Stupid memories.

She had wish it though. Thrown away her good penny.

Gail stopped the train of her thoughts to focus on what was going on outside.

The breathing was louder.

Not that the person, a woman, it was most certainly a woman, was breathing louder than before. No. It was louder because she was getting closer. Not the sleeping woman, obviously. Sleeping people don't usually move.

No _her_ , herself, Gail Peck was moving.

Interesting.

It was still warm and not scary though.*

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Please don't hesitate to review. Especially if you're lost. I wont change the writings but I'll tell you that you will understand when the part one is over._

 _Hopefully._

 _Ohwe, and also, for those who don't remember Perick is the serial killer with the cab, the one who killed Jerry, and kidnapped Gail._


	6. Chapter 6-Necropolis

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **6**

 _ **Necropolis**_

 _ **note:**_

 _My imaginary cat says Hello._

 _Thanks for review._

 _ **ooooo**_

(6) Necropolis

Holly looked outside the window of her apartment

Nothing made sense.

The cat was purring in her legs. She had come back, after all. When she had left the window open Holly was worried the cat would leave and never come back, and she had left for a while. But she was back.

Holly was grateful of her weird presence. She had never been much of a pet person. But this one was somehow the good cat at the good time.

No.

Absolutely nothing made sense.

She remembered two weeks ago. Gail had invited her to this stupid wedding.

They had grew closer since then. She had been feeling a bit weird after the kiss at first. She shouldn't have done that. The kiss. Wasn't fair to Gail.

Or to herself for that matter.

That's why, in her guilt she had wanted to leave Gail to be the first to call.

And she had, the day after that kiss. But that was Gail. And Gail had texted as if nothing had never occurred at all.

 _« Hey lunchbox. Guess who has bought a science magazine? »_

And a second after that.

 _« I think you should marry Dov. He's a nerd-lesbian too. »_

Maybe it was specially unfair to herself actually, she had thought. And not that much to Gail after all. Gail didn't even care. She wasn't gay, her. Gail wasn't interested in her. Not that way.

Straight girl, Holly. Straight girl is the first warning of all times. NEVER EVER fall for a straight girl. Ever.

And that had been Hooly's state of mind for these two weeks.

Worried.

Amused.

Frightened.

Angry.

Lost.

Awful.

So she had agree to a set up. Lisa and Rachel's idea of _"get over your stupid straight crush"_. And she had had to run into Gail. _That night_.

Karma is a bitch.

It's a law of the Universe.

And she had been waiting for Gail to call or whatever, again. The blonde usually texted her a stupid thing once a day, at least.

But Gail had stayed silent this time. For a whole day.

And the next day. Well …

The next day Gail had just texted _« I made a wish today »_. Holly knew then she was supposed to answer something. But she couldn't. So she had left it there. Pending. It was a Tuesday wasn't it?

Yes.

Wednesday was her day off. She couldn't concentrate on the article she was supposed to write. She had just melted in her couch watching old movies.

No news from Gail.

The next day she had a quiet breakfast and quiet drive to work. No radio. She had decided to focus.

Silence is good sometimes.

The morgue was buzzing. She had just said hello and rushed into work.

Determined to only care about that. Work.

But then, again, _Karma is a bitch_.

She had managed to keep it quiet until 7 pm.

 _\- Have you heard? Wicked don't you think?_

 _\- What?_

Robbie was a nice guy but not very bright. She didn't really like him. She … Tolerated him.

 _\- Hum … The serial killer?! Perick? Didn't yah heard? He's out. Escaped from hospital transportation this afternoon! Classic! They're all about it on the news and upstairs. The cops they're crazy right now. They're searching for him all over the city. He disappeared._

 _\- Ohwe._

She didn't know, or cared. She was thinking of Gail and her stupid text.

She wasn't much about gossip. And she definitely didn't care about the big flashing crime news. She was a FP. She'd see dead people all the time, no need to a reminder.

But later she had feel a strange feeling. She couldn't call Gail. Obviously. Not after staying silent that long, and not without it being weird since she still had this lesbian-crush-over-straight-girl in her head.

So she boxed that in one of her mind's little corner. And let the feeling torture her quiet night.

And the next morning Tracy's panicked voice threw her out of bed at precisely 6:46 pm. She'd watched the clock from where she stood on the carpet wrapped in her blankets.

 _\- Holly! Holly! Open up! Holl... Ohwe. Sorry. Did I wake you up?_

 _\- Yeah. No big deal. What's up? Tracy right? Tracy Nash?_

 _\- Yeah. Look, Holly, is Gail here?_

 _\- Hum. No. Why?_

 _\- I can't find her! She said she was coming to your place last night and she doesn't answer her phone and …_

Tracy's voice was hysterical.

 _\- What? Well, she isn't here … But … Why would. Wait. Hum … Get in if you may …_

Holly had ran a hand in her hair. Her eyes were hurting.

 _\- Tea? Coffee?_

 _\- Coffee please._

 _\- So. Gail's missing? She said she'd come here? Why?_

Had asked Holly putting her glasses.

 _\- Yah we've searched pretty much everywhere and … I remembered she said she might come here last night. After all that has happened she thought she could use being somewhere that wasn't home so …_

 _\- Hum … Okay. Hum … Maybe she's just hiding a hangover somewhere?_

Had tried Holly not convinced by her own words.

Tracy had had a sad smile.

 _\- Well, no. Gail wouldn't miss work. She was pissed off that Oliver sent her home for the afternoon yesterday with Perick out … I'm terrified. We're all terrified. I a had a text from her last night. A blank one. At 11:50 pm._

 _\- Hum. Perick? Perick … Is that the serial killer?!_

 _\- Yeah. Oh god, I should have done something. She said … You know. Gail. She's … She said she didn't need police protection. She just told me "I_ am _a police officer". And you know … It is true so …_

Holly was beginning to be afraid. Really afraid.

 _\- Huh wait a minute?! What … What are you talking about?! I don't really know about this guy, I didn't even work here at the time Tracy._

Holly had been pushing back her glasses up on her nose.

Nervous.

 _\- She … Of course she didn't tell you! That's not the kind of things you just shout to anybody … I'm sorry. I … Gail was the officer that Perick kidnapped … You know the story? She was undercover, posing as an escort, the whole thing went wrong … I … A detective got killed. I …_

It was too much for Tracy. She just dropped on the couch crying.

 _\- What do you mean she was the one …_

All the air had suddenly left the world.

That was then. Now was even worse. After that whole day of nothingness and people telling her everything would be fine. They would find her.

Find her?

How?

Where?

 _« You're insane. You know that right? »_

Gail's lips responding to her shy kiss were still burning her skin. Burning through every part of her dying body.

 _« The coat girl didn't show up. »_

 _« Oh, how very weird of you. »_

Gail was gone.

And the world had to go on as if nothing ever happened.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Please don't hesitate to review._

 _For those who care "_ Necropolis" _is the french title of one of Herbert Lieberman's best books. It tells the story of a chief medical examiner in New York, it's dark and sad. But also a very powerful book._

 _It is very sad._


	7. Chapter 7-Birth

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **7**

 _ **Birth**_

 _ **note:**_

 _Yes, again, if you are wondering, it is being published very close to the other chapters because most of my job there was layout and orthographic check-ups …_

 _This rate of publication is only temporary, after chapter 17 or so it will all stop in the middle of the story so … don't get used to such a quick rate okay? I wouldn't want to loose you over a stupidity like that, now, would I?_

 _ **ooooo**_

(7) Birth

The cat knew why she had been born. It was becoming clearer and clearer every moment.

She could see things the _persons_ couldn't. Walk on walls they didn't even see.

She was there to teach them how to climb. How to yawn in a sun ray and fall asleep in the middle of the day.

She was there to teach them how to live.

And she was there for _her_.

 _She_ was sleeping. Now. Her _person_.

Well it was night time and _persons_ mostly slept at night. They're weird in so many ways that that is not the worst.

She licked her claws and jumped softly on the bathroom's floor. She had searched the whole city. Or it felt that way. The steps towards Holly's bed were already familiar to her. She liked it.

She climbed the bed and found her place against her chest. Warm. Soft. It was perfect.

She couldn't dream a better place to be.

She knew that because she was a cat. And being a cat was the best thing that ever happened to her.

\- _Hey you …_ Moaned Holly. _I've been waiting for you babe. Where were you? Hunting?_

The cat looked Holly and purred. She gently caressed Holly's face with hers.

\- _No? Just walked on the sky then … Yeah I get that._

 _*_ Of course you do Holly.*

- _Maybe you'll let me come with you some day?_

*Yes. Anytime Holly.*

\- _I was dreaming about Gail … I think I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and I've been lying to myself after that. I just kept pretending she was going to be this nice new straight friend I could meet for drinks and part_ _ie_ _s._

*Yes I know, Holly.*

- _But the truth is I'm angry she didn't call, I'm angry I'm not sure she got it … I'm not sure she understood what it meant to me … I'm angry I felt that way knowing it would lead nowhere and it's stupid to fall for a straight girl. No matter how beautiful she may be. And god she is …_

*How cute. But really Holly … Wait, that sounded weird. Oh, well. Anyways. Holly, you need to wake up.*

- _What?_

*Wake up!*

\- Oh fuck!

Holly was awake and staring at the cat not knowing.

Dream?

It was cute to watch Holly blink at her that way. Wondering if it all had been a dream.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _I really like that cat._

 _Mostly because she's coming out of my head … But still._

 _And maybe also because she makes me think of the feeling I have when I listen to_ Anna Calvi _'s music. Especially_ Desire _and_ Rider to the sea _._

 _It could work with the band_ Peaches _too._


	8. Chapter 8-Wakening

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **8**

 _ **Wakening**_

(8) Wakening

*I have to wake up.

Go somewhere.

Elsewhere.

She had to stop being scared. She had to stop being this little girl in every shadow.

She had to start being her again. The person in the others' eyes.*

 _« Are you calling my boyfriend simple? »_

 _« Are you calling my boyfriend simple? »_

 _« No. He's just a big protocol. »_

 _« Let's buy shoes. »_

 _« And guns. »_

*I don't wanna be afraid anymore.

I wanna do what I wanna do.*

 _« You're insane. You know that right? »_

 _« Weapons and shoes it's exactly how you celebrate this kind of things. »_

*Wake up Gail.

Wake up!*

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Please review any problem, I'll fix them even if the chapter has been published long ago!_


	9. Chapter 9-That cat is

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **9**

 _ **T** **hat Cat is …**_

 _ **note:**_

 _quoting in french:_

" _On est bien peu de chose et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin..._

 _Vois le Dieu qui m'a faite m'a fait courber la tête..._

 _On est bien peu de chose et mon amie la rose est morte ce matin..._

 _La lune cette nuit a veillé mon amie..._

 _Crois celui qui peut croire, moi j'ai besoin d'espoir sinon je ne suis rien..._

 _On est bien peu de chose et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin..._

 _Vois le Dieu qui m'a faite m'a fait courber la tête..._

 _Et je sens que je tombe et je sens que je tombe..."_

Extraits de "Mon amie la rose", _paroles_ _de_ Françoise Hardy, _par_ Natasha Atlas.

" _We are worth so little and my friend the rose told me this morning..._

 _See that God that made me made me bend the neck..._

 _We are worth so little and my friend the rose died this morning..._

 _The moon tonight watched over my friend..._

 _Believe who can believe, I need hope or I am nothing..._

 _We are worth so little and my friend the rose told me this morning..._

 _See that God that made me made me bend the neck..._

 _And I feel I'm falling and I feel I'm falling..."_

 _Extracts from a song by_ Françoise Hardy _, featuring_ Natacha Atlas. "My friend the rose".

 _ **ooooo**_

(9) That cat is...

Holly had the strangest dream. She'd wake up sweating and almost crying. Staring at the cat. The cat staring back. Not moving.

As if …

As if it was real. That whole conversation in her dream.

The phone rang. Cutting a hole in her brain.

\- Stewart?

\- Holly? It's Robbie … You … You fine?

\- Yeah. Robbie I'm fine. Why?

*Well it's 9 am Holly, you didn't go to work. I didn't want to wake you. Not today.*

\- 9 am!

\- Yeah … That's what I was going to say …

\- That's what you just said …

Wait. It was a girl's voice that said that.

\- Hum … No. Hum Holly, are you actually going to come today?

*No, Holly. Today we're going to walk on the sky. Just you and me.*

Holly watched the cat. The cat was sitting very straight on the bed staring back at her. Holly would swear that, if it could, the cat would smile.

\- You …

\- Holly?! Holly?! Are you sure you're …

\- Yeah. I mean no, thanks Robbie. I … I've catch a cold or something. I … I'll come in by tomorrow.

She hang up rather harshly on poor Robbie. The cat stretched and yawned at her. And then the voice came back.

*Don't look at me like that and get over it, Holly. Yeah, you can hear your cat talking. Big deal. Now make some coffee and tell me when we're ready to go. Cause Gail, your friend, has gone missing for 33 hours now.*

\- Hum … Ohwe ok.

OK. « I'm going insane. » Thought Holly.

*Ohwe and open me up one of these sardine tomato boxes, would you.*

\- You know you're a weird cat right?

*Holly … I'm the only cat you know.*

\- True. But I'm pretty sure the other ones don't talk.

*You don't know that. Do you? For a fact?*

Holly chewed the inside of her jaws.

She didn't know if she should cry or laugh.

After a very strange and quiet meal she got dressed and got ready to … Well follow her cat to … Wherever.

Wherever being an odd building on lock-down. A freaky and stinky place that had been closed for a while.

\- Why are we here, cat?

*Because.*

\- Yeah, that's helpful … Look. You're a cat. You may be used to _that_ but I'm a human, and …

*Owe, Holly, you're a big pussy. That's all. There's actually humans living in much stranger places than this one. Now, do you want to stay in all day or are we moving on?*

\- You know, you're very rude for a cat.

*I know.*

\- You kinda remind me of someo...

*Yah I know. Move! Holly! More moving, less talking.*

Said the cat sitting at the top of the stinky stairs.

And there was a dead guy. A very dead and smelly guy on the floor of a dark and greasy room.

*And here we are.*

\- Wow! You wanted me to find a dead man?! You know you could have just told me.

*What?! Oh, no, him, he just happens to be here. He's not lucky. Obviously. We're here for the files. You need to talk to Tracy about the files.*

\- Hum … OK. What files?

*Ventilation. Up … *

And the cat jumped on a big metal cabinet to reach a little ventilation window.

*There. If I could smile. I would. But I can't. You're very lucky, cause I would have made it look very awkward and scary.*

\- Yeah, I'm so lucky.

Said Holly, already typing in Tracy's number.

*You should think of a story too.*

\- What?

Asked Holly after hanging up on Tracy.

*Well, I'm just sayin … Kinda normal for me to look around in empty weird places. Kind of very suspicious if it's you.*

\- Good point.

*Heard a noise?*

\- My cat ran on me.

Smiled Holly.

*Bad cat.*

\- Still smiling?

*For you, Holly, always smiling.*

The cat jumped back on the floor and rushed into her legs, purring.

\- You know you purr a lot.

*Not my fault I like you. Kinda.*

Holly kneed next to the corpse trying to look for cause of death.

*Holly. You know I told you about the files being important right?*

\- Yeah, and how am I supposed to find them if you didn't go in there when I was chasing you and you made them fall.

*You're getting good at this.*

\- Yeah, I agree.

*So. I suppose I have to get back up there.*

\- Yope. I'm the one smiling now.

*Yeah. I see that. You're mean.*

\- You love it.

*Whatever.*

\- Holly?

\- Yeah... Up here!

Holly was sitting on the floor, reading some files with her phone's light with gloves.

\- Why am I not surprised you have gloves on you?

Asked Tracy raising her eyebrows at the corpse's sight.

*Because Holly is a rock star. And also she's very weird.*

Said the cat only for Holly's ears, obviously. Since Tracy didn't jump at all.

Holly smiled and repressed a laugh.

\- What makes you smile?

\- No'hin. Well … I don't know who's the dead guy but this paper-work is very strange. I think the guy has been dead a day. At least. Maybe two.

\- Mm. Yeah... D'you found it near the body?

\- Nope. Blue found it.

\- Blue?

*Blue? Really Holly?! That's a crappy name. Even for a cat.*

\- The cat. She found it, well. She's pretty dumb so, obviously she fell from the cabinet and the files fell with her. I was chasing her in the first place actually. That's how I got here. Maybe there's more files in the ventilation window up there.

\- Well … That cat is weird … And also very lucky.

*No. I'm a rock star too baybay!*

Holly rolled her eyes. And the cat mew.

*I'm awsome. I'm awsome. I'm …*

Holly was suffering hell and all she could do was cough not to appear as too much of a lunatic. Obviously she was too smart to even think about talking to the cat in public.

Soon the blue lights were everywhere. Lots of cops and white polyester suits, blue gloves on.

Dr Bhaskar the forensic pathologist on duty politely asked her to let him proceed.

*I never liked him. He's a perv.*

\- Not true.

\- What?

\- What?

Asked back Holly, hoping to only look tired. Obviously she wasn't that smart either.

\- You just say some'in. Are yah l'right Holly?

\- No, Tracy. I'm tired. That's all. And I have a stupid cat.

Said Holly with the cat in her arms.

\- But cute though …

Smiled Andy at the cat approaching her hand to caress it.

*Back off bitch!*

Spew the cat. And stretching her claws to the appoaching hand.

\- Be nice! Sorry officer.

\- Andy, please, call me Andy. And it's alright. Don't worry.

*Oh please stop! I'm'onna puke! She's hitting on you or what?! Nick isn't enough?!*

\- Well … I'm gonna head home with my cute and very weird cat. Keep me posted will you?

\- Yeah. Of course.

\- Hum … Holly?

\- Yes Tracy?

\- I'm gonna come by later if it's OK?

*Oh, my you're a woman magnet!*

Holly was really starting to get very distracted. She shook her head. To get her concentration back. It was harder than one could think to pretend not to hear a cat talking to you. She also was trying to prevent any weird smiles from forming. Because it also was very hard to resist the instinct to smile at the cat's jokes.

\- Yah OK. Sure.

She overheard them laughing at her weird happy face and Tracy defending her.

Well … That didn't go too well.

\- Yeah maybe I _am_ tired.

*Yeah. You are talking to your cat after all.*

\- Yeah. Exactly my point. Do you hear my thoughts?

*Hey, I'm a cat not a magician.*

\- Yeah. I should have known since you're only grey …

*That's rude. And also … Oh my god such a cliché! The black cat really Holly?*

\- Can you stop?

*Yeah, well at least _you_ should stop talking … Cause people are starting to stare.*

\- You are so rude.

*Oh come on … I'll fix you a hot cocoa.*

Holly smiled and kissed the cat on the head.

\- You have no hands.

*You'll fix me one then.*

\- You know that chocolate is bad for cats, right? It blinds them.

*I didn't know that. I'm a very young cat.*

oOo

Sitting on her couch a hot cocoa and a good scientific magazine on her lap she couldn't decide what to do. It was Saturday. She was supposed to work. She could still go to work and pretend having miraculously recovered from her cold? Atul would probably never have mentioned he saw her. Atul Bhaskar was many thing but a talker. She liked him.

But even knowing that she decided not to go.

\- Are you Gail? Or am I insane?

She finally asked to the cat that pretended to sleep next to her.

*Nether.*

\- Mm.

*Well. Maybe both. I don't know. Who's Gail?*

\- Blonde. Blue eyes, I would say about one thirty …

*Please! Holly! I don't want a description of her panties you perv lesbian! _Who is she_?*

\- Hum. A friend.

*Yeah. The kind you hitch to fuck?*

\- Hey!

*So yes. And?*

Holly smiled in her cup and sipped.

\- OK … I've known her for what … A month maybe. She's a cop. Hum …

*OK and you want to fuck her.*

\- No! She's weird and funny that's all!

*No? OK.*

\- Whatever. She's dead now anyway. And, also, you know who she is, since you talked about her yourself.

*Oh really Holly?! Oh god I love saying that!*

\- Pff. OK, I'm bored now. I'm gonna read and pretend I don't hear my cat talking.

*No, but really Holly. She isn't. Dead. I mean.*

\- Ohwe, and how would you know?

*I just happen to know her very well. And she didn't really appreciated the last thing you told her … Cause _« You're insane. You know that right? »_ is not a really cool thing to tell someone just before you kiss them and leave them wondering.*

\- I know! I know! I … Lost it. She was so hot in that dress and so close and … So straight.

*Still. Not very nice.*

Holly stared back at the cat's blue eyes. The cat wasn't blinking.

\- You are Gail. And that was two weeks ago. So not the last I said to her.

The cat yawned, not answering, and jumped down the couch.

*I'm out for tonight. And Tracy's at the door. Before you ask yourself, yes, I heard her coming. I have cat ears.*

The bell rang as she was watching the cat climb the stairs. She looked her watch, it was 4:37 pm.

Tracy was carrying the files. Or copies. And she wasn't alone.

\- That's Steve, Steve Peck.

\- Gail's brother?

\- Yah … And Tracy's annoying boyfriend.

Said Steve with a dark voice. Holly found the resemblance instantly. Steve was scanning her guts through her eyes. His dark blue eyes as cold as a deep lake. You could only see the surface.

\- Hem. Come on in. Sooo … What are they about? The files? Ohwe! Sorry … D'you want something to drink? Coffee? Tea?

\- Got som'in stronger?

Asked Steve.

\- You _are_ Gail's brother … I only got Whiskey. No Tequila.

\- I don't like Tequila. She actually humiliated me once. I can't drink Tequila anymore.

\- Why am I not surprised?

\- Because my sister is queen of the universe of pain in the asses.

Holly smiled, pushed her glasses up her nose and went to search for the bottle and some glasses.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _So that is going to be my last update until tomorrow night._

 _At least._

 _Cause I actually do have another life sometimes which I need to get back to now._

 _See ya all._


	10. Chapter 10-Clouds

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **10**

 _ **Clouds**_

 _ **note:**_

 _Thank you for reviews! I love love them very much ;-)_

 _Yes sometimes I am a seven years old girl overly happy about small things, but I like it that way._

 _ **ooooo**_

(10) Clouds

The cat loved the roofs. She was safe there. She had nothing to be afraid up there. She was everything. Even that small, she was the whole world. And she could watch over the city. Look after it. Watching the little lights moving. Lightening behind some windows and fading away from others. Cars' red and white flashlights crossing. Going opposite ways.

If she could cry she would.

But cats don't cry.

Cats don't smile.

They jump and run on the roofs. They hunt mice and pigeons at night when everyone is asleep.

No one gets in their heads. No one tries to get them. Their thoughts.

Why they suddenly run from people. Why they suddenly purr and lick someone's face not even knowing them.

Why sometimes they stand frozen in the branches, incapable to move. Get down. Just meowing.

Asking for help.

Cause they can't remember why or how they got there. And they're just afraid of the heights.

Paralyzed.

But not on the roofs. On the roofs she was never afraid. She was herself. Nobody asking stupid things. Nobody doing stupid things. It was just the air and the clouds. She was so lonely. Her heart was hurting and she didn't really knew why.

It was just hurting.

She was in the dark. She knew it was because of Gail but she didn't know what to do. How to do it.

She was just so tired.

That's probably why she didn't see or heard the shadow coming from the shadows.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Two other chapters are coming up later tonight._


	11. Chapter 11-Melvin

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **11**

 _ **Melvin**_

 _ **note:**_

 _As promised._

 _ **ooooo**_

(11) Melvin

*The darkness was fading away.

Sort of.

Slowly.

And memories of what had happen was unveiling.

Slowly.*

 _« Hey! Are you alright? Hey! Stop! Stop! »_

*Why wasn't she like that stupid Dov? Why didn't she ask to carry her gun around?

Why?

Was she supposed to shout "police"?

Orgh! Quit it Gail! Man up! You're screwed. So man up. You're a cop not a baby. Fuck.

Wake up!

Wake up!

But I'm so cold now … *

 _« Hey! Stop! Stop! Police! »_

*Wake up Gail Peck.*

Glass on the floor.

Smell of gasoline and sweat.

And? Blood maybe.

Her eyes were hurting. She shut them close again.

Head hurting. Inside. Outside.

She hopped she hadn't one right now.

A head, that is. Yeah. She hoped she hadn't got a head right now.

No human noise. No breathing. No nothing.

She was cold. It was nightfall now.

Her thoughts were slow. And random.

She could hear a … Ventilation machine. Maybe. A big one though.

A factory?

Was she in a factory?

Did she shouted "police"?

She wasn't certain of that.

*Did I?

Gail!*

\- I'm awake. I am …

Her voice sounded hoarse and strange. Echoed. It was night. Her hands were moving slowly. She searched her phone.

Nothing.

She could barely move.

A dog barked outside. Was it far?

\- Hey! Someone!

She tried to yell but she could barely feel her lips and tongue. So it was more a whisper.

Steps? Was it steps?

The sound of gravel. It was going away wasn't it?

Another sound was coming closer. Fast.

Her mind was slipping again.

*Help.*

\- Melvin! Melvin! Come back! Melvin!

Soon she could smell the dog's breath.

Hear him walking around. Happy. He was lightly moaning. Like if he was the one in pain.

Or trying to speak.

*Hey Melvin.*

She passed out again. Hearing the voice that called the dog before and running steps.

This time she knew it was approaching.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _See,_ qbonbon _, no need to worry^^_

 _I'm sometimes good to my people._

 _She's not lost anymore!_


	12. Chapter 12-Good police work

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **12**

 _ **Good police work**_

 _ **note:**_

 _And the third. And that would be all for tonight. Tomorrow is Friday … Which means I don't work and usually meet my friends to drink a lot of french beer._

 _Let's be honest, it means I won't be updating before Saturday at best._

 _But I wish you all a very good weekend and_ **disclaimer** _don't drink too much it is fun but alcohol is dangerous._

 _And don't drink underage._

 _I'm very sorry for you Americans on that part …_

 _ **ooooo**_

(12) Good Police Work

Holly, Tracy and Steve were counting minutes. Hours. Drinking their way out of decrypting the files and waiting for the others.

The others being everyone except Oliver since he sadly had to pretend he wasn't aware of what they were doing. It was driving him crazy. And he wasn't doing a better police job than the crew. Chloe even had spilled her coffee on three computers so far.

In the waiting Holly and her two guests had only agree on what happened in the empty building, so far.

The dead man was a homeless fellow in the wrong place at the wrong time. He'd died almost two days ago. Friday around 2 am. According to Dr Bhaskar. A few hours after Perick's escaped. And according to the very scary wound at his abdomen it could be Perick's work. Plus they did found his fingerprints on scene. All over the metal cabinet and the ventilation window and the files. That cat was _very_ lucky.

\- It's exactly the kind of wound Perick inflicted to Jerry …

\- I'm sorry, Trace.

Whispered Steve passing his hand on her back.

Holly admired the discrete closure and care Steve and Tracy showed for one another.

She could feel the tears rushing behind her eyelids. Her throat getting smaller. It has been almost 41 hours since Gail disappeared. It has been six days since she disappeared on Gail. Her skeleton was too small. Or too big for her skin. Her skin was melting like cheese under the sun. Her ribcage was pressuring her heart and her lungs.

She couldn't breathe.

And this whole story didn't make any sense …

Gail was missing.

She couldn't answer Steve about how lucky she got finding key files in an on going investigation like Perick's escape. Files regarding 11 cold cases, suspected to be actually Perick's victims.

Crimes he never admitted.

And the whole world was spinning. Her body was too small.

Gail was missing.

The doorbell rang.

She let Tracy open the door.

Because the cat was back and dropping blood on her carpet while lightly meowing.

*Holly I'm hurting bad. The world is a bitch. And what are McNally and the king of dorks-Epstein doing here?*

So Holly ran to her cat.

\- Oh my god babe! What the hell happened to you? Hum, hi guys! Sorry make yourself at home I need to …

\- Yeah no worries! Take care of your cat Holly, we'll be here. Talking about the case.

\- Thank you Steve.

*Another cat attacked me. I want you to kill it. Can you make it hurt for days? You're a doctor, you can do that right?*

\- Blue … Don't be mean.

\- You're talking to your cat?

*Get out Dov ! Or I'll bite.*

\- Be nice. Yes I do that. I know. I'm weird. I'm 30, the lesbian daughter of a Methodist pastor and I'm a forensic pathologist so yeah. I'm weird. Gail'd say I'm a nerd!

\- She said that about me too you know. Several times. Every day.

*That's true. He is. And you too. But you're cuter.*

Holly smiled.

\- Yeah. That's Gail.

\- I miss her … So much. I would never tell her that, but I miss her like hell.

\- Why wouldn't you? Tell her?

*Hey ! That hurt. Pay attention to what you're doing, will you …*

Meowed the cat.

\- Quiet cat! I'm the doctor. Don't move.

*Okay. Okay.*

Dov smiled at Holly's back. She was slowly washing the blood over the cat's face and hears. The cat seemed really quiet sitting there on the counter.

\- Looks bad …

\- No, she'll be fine. I'd give my shirt to see the other cat's face. She's a fighter.

\- Yeah. Like Gail. That's why I think she's alive. Even if he has her, it's Gail you know … Gail.

*Oh, please! He's going to cry. If is crying I'm biting him.*

\- If you bite, no sardines.

*Bitch.*

\- I love you too. Now beat it, bad cat. I'm giving you milk and sardines.

*Marry me.*

\- So ! Dov … We were saying?

\- Something about Gail being a good person.

\- Yeah, I wouldn't say that …

Said Nick.

*How would you know you've always been a jerk …*

\- How would you know Nick? Huh!? How?! You don't even know her! It's not cause you fucked her that you ever cared of who she is!

\- Chris … Calm down OK?

Andy had her hand on Chris' chest.

\- Fuck you Andy. Cause, you know what?! Gail's one of the finest person we'll all ever meet and most of you never even noticed. Cause you never went further the ice queen surface. Cause …

The cat meowing in his legs and purring stopped him. Chris was crying. He took the cat and went to sit back on the couch.

*I love you Chris. And Gail loves you too. Tell him Holly. Please.*

But Holly didn't have the time, Steve stepped into the conversation. He didn't yell or anything. He just was Steve.

And with the coldest and angriest tone they'd ever heard he asked them if they were done with their feelings and if they could resume on searching for his baby sister.

*Way to go bro! That's my Stevy. You gotta work! And yes Holly I'm gonna shut up starting now but you gotta do something. Fast.*

\- Ya …

Said Holly. And everyone watched her push up her glasses and nodded.

\- Ya. We need to get back to it …

Said Tracy picking up a file.

Everyone knew, deep down that it was too late. Way too late.

Even if he had taken his time with her, more than usual cause she was special. It had to be too late for everything else. And, truthfully, most of them thought they would just be happy to find her corpse by now.

But none of them wanted to say that. So they just pretended to have hope.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Okay. I'm going to post another one in a few minutes. But like, a really short one so … It will mean that only 4 chapters will be left before the end of part 1._


	13. Chapter 13-Hidings

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **12**

 _ **Hunting down the hunters**_

 _ **note:**_

 _This time it is true it's the last for tonight._

 _ **ooooo**_

(13) Hidings

The cat was dying of not being able to speak. If it wasn't for the cuddling she'd bite and scratched them all. They were going so slow. Trying to figure out the sense of the files. Medical records. All women. Blond women. 11 blond women.

Make a connection.

Obviously she got it wrong too. But hey! She only was a cat.

Obviously.

*OK. Holly, I'm sorry. I have to tell you a secret. I'm not Gail. Cause if I was I would know were she is … What I know is that if you wanna find Perick you gotta think better. You gotta think like Gail. Cause I don't know where he is. But I know that she imagined where he'd go if he'd escape. I think that's why she sent me to check all these buildings related to him. _And_ also, I know that she didn't know about the files cause I got lucky on that. Cause I'm a cat and cause there was a dead guy in _that_ room. It doesn't take a Nobel prize to know I had to search that place Holly …*

\- What?!

Shouted Holly.

\- What?! Holly? You found something?!

Asked someone.

\- No. I think. Hum … How … Did someone searched Gail's place?

\- What!? Why?!

\- Yes. Of course. And we found nothing.

Said Steve frowning with his indecipherable expression.

\- Not a thing about Perick? She didn't search about him? Not at all?

\- No …

Answered Steve again. But he wasn't sure.

Tracy wasn't sure either.

\- But we searched everywhere … Even her locker.

\- Her room at you parent's house has been searched right?

Asked Tracy to her boyfriend. He nodded. Slightly annoyed that she would ask him. All three Pecks were cops. Of course they had searched everywhere.

\- All that's been searched just after she went missing …

He stated. But then his face illumitated.

\- What a dork! Mom's office at the house! It has a hiding place in the floor where we used to hide alcohol!

Steve was already out the door, Tracy running after him.

Everyone running after them. Even Holly. And the cat.

Well. The cat got up from the couch were she'd fallen asleep.

*Hey Holly! Holly! I'm a cat! Me-can't-follow-humans-running!*

She shouted.

And the door slammed.

She'd left her behind.

*Neat.*

The cat slowly made her way to the kitchen.

She hadn't hear from Gail for hours now.

And she was worried.

Last time she had checked, Gail remembered having been shot in the head.

Like, with a gun.

In the head.

The cat licked-washed the plate full of tomato sardine waiting for her. Then she sat on the counter looking the city through the window.

*Bad Holly.*

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _I should be sorry to leave you pending with a handful of questions … I should._

 _Please, so far, tell me, do you like the story?_

 _I swear the pain is going to end eventually._

 _Nice weekend guys. I'll try to update Sunday. Saturday is going to be impossible._


	14. Chapter 14-Groves

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **1** **4**

 _ **Groves**_

 _ **note:**_

 _Hey. What? Did you really buy the whole weekend thing? I just couldn't leave you pending without giving you the rest of part 1._

 _So watch out the last three chapters are coming after this one._

 _Yes, today._

 _I should be working on my exam right? Well. I'm not obviously._

 _And also … Who saw the last episodes of our show?_

 _I'm pissed off. Season 6 made me so angry! I hate season 6._

 _ **ooooo**_

(14) Groves

*Memories.

Funny thing.

She was going to Holly's. She had to … To talk to her? Maybe. But she saw something weird.*

Her surroundings sounded weird. She was under water.

Or not.

Was it possible that she was under water?

Maybe she was drugged?

*A kid. A kid? A girl.*

There were beeps and buzzes. Bees and voices. And she was high. Definitively high. Happily high. And warm again.

She could hear Holly's voice too.

Weird. Cause she knew Holly wasn't there.

She was miles away.

It wasn't Holly's voice. She just wanted it to be Holly's voice. It was a man's voice.

Gail remembered everything now.

*She was getting out of the Penny. Her phone wasn't working. For some fucking reason. Maybe it was because it fell. Intentionally fell against the wall. Stupid temper.

And then going home, or to Holly's, she didn't know yet, she had seen that … A girl. Just a kid.

She had sent a text to Tracy. Hoping she'd get it. Cause she couldn't phone anyone, the speakers wouldn't work. She was following the weird vehicle.

She was certain the girl was a minor. Well if not it was weird. She was certain this guy was not her father or brother. And she felt it was weird for a thirty to thirty five year old man, looking a bit gangsta style to date this maybe or maybe not minor shy-small-town-girl. He was a slang. And she was a blind sheep. Cute sheep. Still sheep.

Gail could feel it in her guts.

Something was wrong. The girl looked out of place. The car looked out of jail.*

Karma is a bitch. She almost regretted … No. No, she didn't. She smiled. Well. She wanted to regret at least.

The memories were shooting in her ears like bullets.

She pushed them away.

Too much pain.

Her head, oh her head ached so bad.

*Wake up Gail. Please wake up.*

She could almost clearly hear them now.

\- She's out of danger, well, stable at least … But. I can't say what she'll remember _if_ she ever wakes up officer … She's been out a very long time. And shot in the head. I mean, a wound like that it's a miracle she's alive …

Said the voice of Holly who wasn't Holly but a man.

\- OK. Well. Since she didn't have anything on her, no ID no nothin' we're gonna need her fingerprints.

Said another voice.

*I'm a cop. I'm officer Gail Peck, 15 division's TPD.*

*They don't hear you Gail.*

*Who are _you_!?*

*I'm me of course. And may I say that I am glad that you're still there Gail. It's been a long time. And … Also … Gail … You gotta wake up.*

*I can't. If I wake up … When I wake up I don't hear her anymore. I like hearing her. Holly. When I sleep I can hear her talking … Is she talking to you?*

*Yes. Gail … You gotta wake up.*

*You know what's the worst? I think no one ever loved me. Well not like _that_ anyways. Chris loves me. Nick he never cared. He's a jerk. And he wonders why I never let him in I'm sure …*

*Gail. You gotta stop doing that to yourself. And you gotta wake up. They're worried about you. All of them. Holly is worried about you.*

*Is she?*

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _I really hate season 6._


	15. Chapter 15-Little Boxes

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **1** **5**

 _ **Little boxes**_

 _ **note:**_

 _Yes you guessed right, I wrote this one with the song_ Little boxes _…_

 _ **ooooo**_

(15) Little boxes

The little space was full of crap. Two half emptied bottles of cheap whiskey that Steve identified being at least ten years old. Old scrap books full of Gail's dark drawing and scribbling. Old comics magazines and old porn Steve sworn to be both Gail's. A lot of dust and a red cardboard folder containing a black scrapbook with Gail's handwriting and copies of files on Perick.

\- Gail … You're a fucking mystery.

Said the big brother. His eyes were hurting. Still kneeing on the floor he tossed the cardboard folder over to Tracy and caught an older scrapbook. His tears were burning. Holly kneed next to him and cuddled his back. She took one of Gail's scrapbook without opening it. She'd just ran her hand over the dusty cover.

The others were reading the file. All standing around their mother's red oak desk.

\- She stopped drawing a while ago. High School is a bitch.

\- It'll do that to people.

\- Yah. Gail's always been … Well. Gail. So. She either wins or leaves.

Holly smiled. She didn't know her that well after all.

\- I screwed up. I screwed up bad. She's all I got. My little nightmare since the day she was born.

\- I know. I know. We're going to find her, Steve …

She embraced him and ran her hands over his back.

\- Hey Steve? I'm sorry but … Gail wrote a lot of stuff we can't read. She's got a weird handwriting. And it's coded I think.

Said Tracy.

\- Weird, considering what she said about lesbian's handwriting!

Joked Andy. Chloe coughed.

\- What?! It's true. Once she told me she didn't know what was with lesbians but they always had terrible handwriting and they were always hitting on her!

Andy smiled and laughed a little.

\- Andy …

Tried Chloe again.

\- What? It was that Brenner case. Sam was missing. I was stupid and tensed and she handled it pretty well. Gail style but still … It was a jo …

\- Andy, I think your friends are trying to discretely remind you that I'm gay. But I'm sure you didn't know that and I'm actually OK with it? And Gail said weirder stuff to me anyway.

Holly was smiling at their embarrassed faces. She pushed her glasses up and used Steve's shoulder to get up.

\- Let me try the reading then!

She joked.

\- No, if it's coded I can read it. It was our thing to get away with mum's no-word-out-loud punishment.

\- You're mother's such a sweet person!

Said Dov.

\- Yah. Mary Olsen's style really. So … Let me see. Yup. Code. Hum … So.

Steve started reading parts.

\- Wow it's gonna take hours!

Muttered Chloe pulling away from the group.

\- We better narrow things down a little bit.

Answered Dov in a low voice following her.

\- So?

Asked Chris.

\- Well … We could concentrate on the places she traced back to him with the cold cases we found …

Said Holly.

\- You totally should be a cop!

Said Chris.

\- Yeah … Maybe you should too …

Said Steve.

\- She wrote about a lonely place near Chicago. Perick lived there for some time with his mother when he was a child. Gail put that on the top of her list.

\- Yeah, but Steve … He didn't go back there for twenty years … Nothing links him to that place anymore.

Said Andy.

\- That's why I'm starting to think my sister's a pretty good cop. It's a good thing I know a detective in Chicago …

Steve stepped out of the room to make the phone call.

\- I still think we should keep looking at other hypothesis …

Andy had that worried look in the eyes. The look wouldn't go until Gail was safe anyway.

They all looked relieved. For a moment. And tired. And worried that it was too late. Worried that they couldn't be all those miles away to take the bastard down. Worried they weren't there. Worried it had all been for nothing. And worried cause they were all off the case since this morning. It had been a shit day and the next would be the same if they didn't bring her back.

\- So … I'm gonna head home. My … My cat's waiting for me.

Said Holly.

She felt out of place. And tired.

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _I'm not very proud of this chapter. It's a bit bad but I'm not going to re-write it. It's better to do better in the future._


	16. Chapter 16-Kill the cat

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **1** **6**

 _ **Kill the cat**_

 _ **note:**_

 _Next to last …_

 _ **ooooo**_

(16) Kill the cat

*I' _va_ been waiting. Like really _way-ting_.*

Said the cat, with a lot of emphasis on the words. She was like ambushing behind the door, sitting very straight.

She had been waiting for Holly to come home.

\- I know, I'm sorry. So … Is she in Chicago?

*She who?*

\- Don't.

*OK … OK … Holly …*

\- What? I don't like the start.

*Yeah. I don't know where she is … I really don't. She's asleep. She's been off for two days, like in a weird place … Most of the times she's able to help me to find clues but … Now it's been hours since I heard from her. I'm afraid.*

\- Why me cat? Why me? Why not …

*You're a nerd Holly. And also that was Gail's idea. She said lesbians love cats.*

Holly smiled.

*And also she hopped you would do it …*

\- Do what? Listen to a cat?

*Love her. Care. Care enough to do anything without asking.*

\- Right.

A moment of silence passed.

*She knew that because you're a big dyke.*

\- You know you just blew it, right?

*Ohwe you don't go with _« You're insane. You know that right? »_ with me are ya Holly?*

Another brief moment passed during which the cat could see Holly wondering if she could kill a cat and remain non-sociopath.

*Hahahaha ahahahahahhahahaha! You should see your face!*

The cat loved to laugh at people. Especially Holly apparently.

Holly shook her head and went to the kitchen. She let the scrapbook fall loudly on the counter. And closed her eyes.

*What's that?*

\- I stole that. It's Gail's. A scrapbook from High School or something.

*Oh, _my_ , and what are you?! A teenager? What's next? You're going in her underwear drawer?*

\- Oh shut it bitch! I'm just curious.

*Yeah. And cute. I was only kidding you know. Gail loves your glasses by the way. Makes you look even nerdier and it makes her hot. She likes nerds.*

\- Yeah right.

*You shouldn't read it. It's wrong. She's not gonna like it. I know that much.*

\- I know.

She decided that she was not hungry and went upstairs to her bedroom.

Holly lay in bed with her clothes on. Incapable of moving. Incapable of sleeping.

The cat looked at her a moment and decided to come closer. She lightly walked on the bed not making any noise and finally settled near Holly's head.

She purred a moment in silence.

Holly was grateful of her presence, again.

They both listened to the other breathing.

*She's going to be angry at me for telling you that she made me _sorta_ lie to you.*

\- What?!

Holly turned her glare to the cat's face. The eyes shone and the cat's ears moved a bit.

*She's not with Perick. She sent me on his trail only because she wanted to be sure he would be found. In case … You know.*

\- In case what?!

*She dies.*

Holly closed her eyes on her tears.

*Holly … Don't be sad … She was glad that we found the files. She's been searching everything she could search about him for a long time. It is important for her.*

\- I don't want Gail to die …

* I know Holly. I know.*

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_


	17. Chapter 17-Memorial

**That Cat Is Weird**

 **Part 1 - Blue**

 **Chapter** **1** **7**

 _ **Memorial**_

 _ **note:**_

 _Okay I feel the need to warn you that at the end of part 1 there's a twist, since it's the end of a part and not of the story … So please don't think it's end okay?_

 _ **ooooo**_

(17) Memorial

*Head hurts.

Bad.*

Noises.

\- She should wake up any moment now … But I must tell you, I don't know what will happen. The surgeon will come and explain all that to you, I'm only here for the …

\- Why? Did something went wrong during the transportation here? Or anything? Why can't you tell? Is my sister going to be okay or not?!

\- No, no, sir, hem … She'd been stabilized. The surgeon did good in Fergus … The transportation went well. It's just, well. They put her in a coma for recovery and she _was_ shot in the head. As I explained to your friend, Dr Stewart here, she _could_ have absolutely no sequels. But as far as I can tell … She was off for a long time. I'm not a brain surgeon but she had several surgeries, both here and in Groves Memorial. She lost a lot of blood. She … She went through a lot I cannot say it's going to be fine I don't know. What I know is that her charts look better, she has rest obviously so, it could mean she will wake up soon. But anything could happen. I mean, we're talking about a shot in the head. So her brain could have sequels … Dr Stewart you know how these things are …

\- No. I'm a forensic pathologist, the only brains I see are dead. The only people I see are dead.

The voice was harsh. Anger. There was a lot of anger in that room. Steve was angry, Holly was angry, the poor nurse was lost and angry at them for being angry at him.

\- Hey! Shut up! My brains hurts.

She _did_ think these words would make the noise stop. It was the intent of the words anyway. But it didn't work at all. It went worse.

\- Gail! Gail!

\- Oh my god she's awake!

\- Doctor! Doctor! Call her surgeon!

\- Shut up! Shut up!

Shouted Gail. Looking at the blur faces looking in shock at her.

\- Just shut up …

She whispered again.

Her head was hurting. Hurting so bad. The whole world was shouting at her.

END OF PART 1

 _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _I swear I will update soon._

 _I have a lot of work and part 2 is only work in progress but some chapters are almost ready._


	18. Chapter 18-Unholy Relief

_**That Cat Is Weird**_

 **Part 2 - Recovery**

 **Chapter 18**

 _ **Unholy relief**_

 _ **note:**_

 _This chapter's events take a place a little bit before the last chapter. Not very long. Just a little.^^_

 _Thank you for your amazing reviews guys I love it!_

 _«_ Some Unholy War _»_ _is a song from Amy Winehouse's_ _«_ Back to Black _»_ _album._

 _ **ooooo**_

(18) Unholy relief

Suddenly, after all these hours the phone rang. It was Tracy. Holly wasn't sure she wanted to answer.

She did nonetheless.

\- Hey? They found Perrick?

She asked carefully.

\- Holly … They found Gail. She's been … Hem. We're with Steve and my son, we're coming by your place to take you if you wanna …

\- Sure! I'll get dressed! How long?

\- Five minutes.

The clock on the microwave indicated 5:57 pm.

It was Sunday.

Gail had been missing since Thursday. 11:54 pm.

The cat was sitting on the counter. Blue and royal.

*So?*

\- They found her! Don't know much! Gotta run!

Holly crashed back on its base the phone she was still holding and rushed to her coat and shoes.

She stopped at the door to turn on the cat that had lightly followed her. Human Holly smiled and stepped back, kneed and scratched gently the top of the cat's head. Blue closed her eyes obviously appreciating.

\- Whatever happened I swear I will get you to see her baby cat. Just, not tonight. It's...

*Complicated. Yeah I know. I had no intention of forcing you to take me with you. I'm a cat. I know that.*

\- I love you, you know?

*Whatever. Go see Gail. I'll be here sleeping on your bed. Maybe I'll even pee on it.*

\- Bad cat.

And Holly rushed out to the front of the building. Steve's car was already here he'd let the engine run. She jumped next to Leo on the back seat. The car moved right away. And fast.

\- So?

She asked looking at Leo and Tracy respectively.

\- She's in Groves Memorial. In Fergus. Don't ask me how she got there, no one knows. The cops found her two days ago and it took time to run her fingerprints in the system, cause, well. The surgery had to come first. They called 15 Division at 5:30 today.

\- What the hell! Move!

Steve was even angry at the road.

It would almost have been fun to be arrested for speeding right now, thought Holly.

\- So, you're Leo?

\- Yes. You're Holly, right? Gail's girlfriend?

Holly chocked inside.

\- Hem … I hem … No, well I am a _friend_ of Gail's. And a girl, so technically you could, hem …

The boy was his mother's portrait. His eyes especially. He looked right at her own eyes, fearless.

\- Yes. That's what it means, mom too is Gail's girlfriend right mom?

\- Hem, yah baby …

Holly glanced at Tracy through the mirror apologizing. Tracy was smiling.

\- I'm so glad and worried at the same time!

Said Tracy.

It wasn't time for small talks. Anyways they all thought about the same thing.

\- Can I play with your phone Holly?

\- No! Leo! Sorry Holly, he's been deprived of video games this week. He lied to me about finishing his homework …

\- Mom …

\- Yeah. I got that a lot too, until I arrived at College.

\- So you see! Holly is a doctor right? And she didn't do her homework!

\- Yeah … That's why I had to work to death every night to get my degrees. It's hell when you don't know how to discipline yourself to work Leo. Harder than anything you can imagine. Homework every night is a piece of cake, trust me … I'm a doctor!

Tracy was smiling. Ear to ear.

Leo raised an eyebrow, not sure if it was his mother's speaking through Holly's mouth or just the truth.

\- Legit. I swear, I regretted not doing my homework. My mother and father didn't really care you see … If I said I done it, I done it. They didn't really care weather or not it would be hard for me later to find my own way to organize myself to work. You know … Like I wouldn't know how long it would take me to learn by heart a geography lesson I had to know two days later and be able to calculate fractions in the same week? So I just had to do everything at the same time and super late and always stressing and stuff. That's hard. Cause you ought to have a life besides school you know? And that was difficult since I couldn't be organized in anything. I had to learn how to do that too before I could relax in my life. You know what I mean about being organized and know your own limits about work, right?

\- Yeah. I'm good with numbers so, that comes easy. History is harder. It takes longer.

\- See. You learn to know yourself and your limits when you do your homework, it's not _just_ to make you crazy. It actually serves a greater purpose.

\- Wow. I'ain't know that.

\- Didn't.

Cut Steve smiling. And frowning at the road.

\- Wha'ever.

They all laughed.

All that pressure was out. It was starting to get out.

Children'll do that to you.

They started to talk about everything.

Well … Everything about Gail. Tracy had the better stories. From the academy, from work.

Gail's acid little remarks at parade. Oliver's jokes.

The three adults even tried to laugh.

The road wasn't fast enough.

Almost no cars were left on that big road leaving out of town.

The flashlights turned the trees in ghosts waiting to jump over the car. Steve was going fast but none in the car complained. It wasn't fast enough. He almost didn't say a word the whole first part of the journey. Sometimes he'd smile at one of Tracy's memories of Gail. Even laughed when Tracy told them about the first time Elaine Peck came in 15 Division and Gail's strategies to avoid her mother all day. Until the final _«_ _How would I know, I'm home sick_ _»_ and Gail's failure to present her mother who was receiving a medal.

When the laughter faded away Steve's voice came out of nowhere. Cutting through the weird shape of the monstrous tree's shadows outside the car. Shadows melted with the darkness of the blue night falling.

\- She was never that big on public talks, my little sister. But that again, we have to thank mother for it. Mother and her sweet, sweet encouraging prep talks … When Gail was hem … Five, maybe six, they had a big party at the house to celebrate … Their wedding maybe, I can't remember. Anyway, Gail had written this little riddle, it was cute. _Yeah,_ there was a time were she was cute and all, it didn't last. It was just a little girl talking about her parents. I mean it was not something big it was just four or five lines, a small poem. Cute right?

\- Yeah …

Said Tracy, half smiling, not knowing what to expect from Elaine Peck.

\- Well, no. It was a speech. For mother, it was. So, she made her practice every night after work, stopping at every word after she re-wrote the whole thing. Making sure it was perfect.

They stayed silent a moment, not knowing how to react.

Steve was staring at the shadows they were chasing on the road.

\- Pathetic woman. Gail cried for days. All she could think about was disappointing mother. Letting her down. Not having her back, embarrassing her in front of all her friends. So … She didn't do it. She just didn't do it.

The engine had a roar as he accelerated.

\- Wow, wicked! Mom always tells me to never be afraid of being ridicule … It's not as hard as regretting not doing the thing …

\- Your mother's right Leo.

Said Steve.

\- Gail regrets it even now. If she'd did it our mother would have probably be ungrateful cause she's like that, but Gail would probably don't even remember the whole thing.

\- Yeah. I'm sorry to tell but I'm not so sure I wanna meet your mom Steve yah know?

Said Leo smiling.

\- Well, I can understand that little man. Believe me sometimes I regret I ever met her … But she has good sides too … She never missed a game or a show. Never missed a class reunion, never missed a good night kiss, never missed a bedtime story. Always there when we were sick, even if she had to check first that we weren't pretending … Never missed a talk we needed to have with her. Never really tried to change who we are … Just. She's a control freak. But she cares, no matter what, no matter how unhappy or disappointed we knew she would be, we also knew she would prefer to delay the lecture if we needed her to be here for us. So … I guess neither Gail nor I would exchange her for another mother. She's what she is. My parents did come back from their annual honeymoon the second Gail went missing and one of these cars driving too fast is my father driving himself crazy at the idea his little girl has been hurt so … I guess you just can't choose your parents.

\- Wow, man! You're dating Yoda mum!

\- Orh shut up!

Said Tracy to her son smiling and gently running her hand in Steve's hair.

Holly just stayed in her own world. Thinking about her own parents.

The ones that changed the locks and their phone number when they realised that after escaping three times from "recovery camp" their 17 years old daughter wouldn't turn to become heterosexual after all. The ones that then nicely told her they'd open a bank account with a thousand dollars on it for her to be able to start, wherever she desired to, just not in their town … Cause, you know _«_ _Your father has responsibilities towards the church, Holly,_ _towards his congregation_ _»_ …

And all that because Denis Brighton was jealous she was more into his sister Helen than himself.

Her thoughts were running with the lights outside and the shadows of the trees that seemed to be running with them. Or after them maybe, as the night was falling for good.

She fell asleep.

The first notes of « Some Unholy War » were slowly walking out the radio.

They arrived at 8 pm at Groves Memorial Community Hospital. Elaine and Bill Peck were getting out of their car. Two officers of the local police were waiting at the door. They didn't wait for Chris to park. They stepped forward to the officers.

\- Hi! I'm Sergent Ayita Solomon and that's Basil Clerck. I'm the chief of local police. Basil is the officer in charge of your...

\- Were is my daughter!?

Shouted Elaine Peck.

She looked dreadful. Her eyes were dark red. Her husband took her by the shoulders and nicely addressed Sergent Solomon.

\- Honey … Sorry Sergent … We were really worried and if you would be very kind to …

The woman seemed very empathic she nodded. She was smiling since they arrived. The young man she had presented as Basil Clerck was smiling too. He was a giant.

\- It's my fault … I'm sorry ma'am … I will lead you to her. I have to warn you though that she hasn't wake up yet.

Said Solomon walking them into the hospital while it started to snow outside.

\- We were really shocked to find her like that in the factory …

Said the young officer. He looked a lot alike with the Sergent Solomon. Black eyes and long black hair. Dark skin. Both pretty tall. A small mouth with mobile lips. They had the same quiet and gentle look in their eyes.

\- You know Fergus is a rather big town but it's very quiet so … We didn't know there could be gangs running in our woods …

He said.

\- Gangs?!

Shouted Steve, more and more worried.

\- Yes, officer.

Said the Sergent still walking ahead.

\- You know here everybody has a gun, a riffle, to hunt. And her wound shot, that's a hand gun. Even the Doctor Blackstone thought so. And you know, besides being a good doctor he is one of our finest hunters here so …

She continued.

\- Hi Saul!

She shouted to an old man standing in the hallway reading a file.

\- Ayita! Hey … They're the family? Hi everyone. I'm doctor Blackstone.

Said the old man taking off his glasses and coming to them. He had a really dark skin and the whitest teeth Holly had ever seen. He had a gentle face, round. His hair was white on the temples. Grey otherwise. He was very small for a man.

\- I'm the one that took the bullet off of your friend's head. And I'm very glad to be able to tell you that she's the most stubborn patient I have ever had. And I met a lot of stubborn people in my life. She'll be fine...

He gently put his hand on Elaine Peck's shoulder and looked directly in her eyes while saying the last words.

She got out of her husband's arm and fell into the doctors arm crying.

\- Thank you thank you thank you can I see my baby now?

She whispered to his ears.

Saul Blackstone took her by the shoulders smiling to Bill Peck, who was standing really still.

\- Come with me. Maybe it's better if you don't come in _all_ at the same time.

He said with a nice but ferm tone.

\- Steve.

Said Bill without turning back.

\- Yeah. I'll...

\- Go.

Said Tracy kissing him on the cheek.

The rest of them approached the window of the room. Gail was laying there. Tubes and machines everywhere. They could hear the doctor talking to the three Pecks looking all defeated.

Elaine was already caressing her daughter's hand crying.

\- Tomorrow if everything goes as planed I'll take off the respirator. She'll be able to breathe by herself. I know how she looks and I understand your worries, but really, she's out of danger. I've never seen a fiercer fighter Mrs Peck. She was very, _very_ lucky. The bullet barely penetrated the skull. I didn't even had to take any part of her brain. If everything goes this smoothly she might not have any sequels. Now I don't want to give you false hope but I had to tell you that ok?

He turned to Bill and Steve who were barely breathing. Both father and son were looking at Gail with the same angry and sad face. Their present thoughts were no mystery. Saul Blackstone had a little smile and pressed his hand against Bill's shoulder before leaving the room.

 _ **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _Like I said … I have tried to be as fast as I could._

 _And I know it's far from being the best chapter I ever wrote. But I wrote it a long time ago and I honestly was too lazy to re-write it better._

 _I cannot promise anymore that I will update soon. I have my big exams in three weeks and I'm starting to panic. (It is a very big exam session)._

 _And also I have two more chapters that have been written and are waiting to be posted but after that, it'll be all new so the rate of publication was obviously going to be slower anyway._


	19. Chapter 19- What We Are

_**That Cat Is Weird**_

 **Part 2 - Recovery**

 **Chapter 19**

 _ **What we are**_

 _ **oooooooooooooooooo -Notes- oooooooooooooooooo**_

 **I** won't promise what I perfectly know I can't give so, I am not going to lie about the fact the next update is probably going to take as long as this one!

 **B** ut I will finish that story!

 **H** owever, I am still sorry for said delay.

 **I** f I may explain, I was very ill in the past year and on top of that I also choose to privilege some other writings over this story.

 **I** am sorry if it offended or deterred anyone because it was not my intention.

 **A** lso, I've noticed a lot of misspelling and errors in the past chapters but I have to admit I probably never will have time to mend them … All I can offer is an apology and the hope that I will do better in the future …

 **A** gain, I will never say it enough: _t_ _hank you so much for reviewing!_

 **R** eaders, you make my days brighter.

 _ **o**_ _ **oooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooo -Chapter**_ _ **1**_ _ **9**_ _ **\- o**_ _ **oooo**_ _ **ooooooooooooo**_

 _ **What we are**_

Gail could barely stand the pain that every tiny noise was causing her. She wasn't suffering really, not physically. She could barely feel her body if she was honest. But the noise was driving her crazy. She had woken up several times only to find the room filled with people she couldn't really see. The noise was too loud to let her eyes focus on the faces.

 _« Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhaaaaaaaa shut up shut up shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup! »_

Her breathing was too painfully loud. Every noise hurt like a million volts.

 _« Gail? »_

 _« Shut up! Shut up! »_

And she'd blackout again. For hours, maybe days. She couldn't really tell.

And when she was asleep, her memories were driving her crazy.

Sometimes she could see a bright day, sometimes it was night. A bit like drowning when still able to breathe. Weird and very uncomfortable. The dreams were starting to clear off. Not that she knew where or what or who, but the soundtracks and images were better. Not as painful.

 _« Stop! Police! Stop! Stop … She's just a little girl … Stop … Stop … »_

 _« Gail?! »_

Maybe she was still dreaming?

Holly's red and tired eyes were looking at her. She had her glasses.

Who was Holly and why did she know her name? What?! Gail's thoughts erupted like small plastic bottles out of the ocean. Drifting. Floating away. Who? What was she thinking?

« Hey. » She settled on saying.

« Hi. » Answered the other one.

« Hey. » She said again.

« You said that already. »

« You know what? It sounded familiar … »

« How do you feel? »Asked the girl whispering.

Bad. Hurting. She wanted to puke on the floor right now. And angry. Tired. Hungry. Thirsty and … « Thirsty. » She finally said in a blank tone.

The girl with glasses disappeared from her sight a moment and came back with a bottle and a straw.

« Here. Drink. Slowly OK? » Ordered Holly.

Who was Holly? Thought Gail.

« Hey! Holly? Gail?! »

Gail turned her head to find a woman standing in the doorway, hesitating between smiling and crying.

« Baby?! How are you?! »

The woman looked vaguely familiar. She took her hand and pressed it against her lips.

The girl with the bottle smiled.

Gail blinked. « I'm sorry why … Hum … Who are you people anyway? » She asked in a distant voice, then closed her hurting eyes. There was too much light in the room.

She didn't see the look on both Holly's and Elaine's faces.

« Could you like … Make the light go away? Why am I here anyway?! » Suddenly asked Gail, as if the thought had just occurred to her.

But neither women had moved a muscle.

« What? » Asked Gail coldly.

« I'm gonna close the stores and fetch a doctor OK Elaine? » Almost whispered Holly squeezing the woman's arm gently.

« O …OK. »

Gail could hear them talk with the doctor in the hallway. The one named Holly was asking weird questions she couldn't begin to understand. The other one pretended to be her mother. Not that she knew what was supposed to be a "mother". They had been joined by a young man that seemed close to this Elaine woman. He was holding this mother and nodding at the doctor-person. She, Gail, on the other hand, started to feel better.

« Hey! Dorks! I'm hungry! I don't really care what you think of my brains, or who you are right now, I want a steak and french fries, » grunted Gail before shutting her eyes, mumbling, « Whatever that is. »

They all looked back at her through the window, then, after a short moment of shock they all burst out laughing.

After that it was just a lot of people passing by to see her. Many people. Too many people. There had been only one funny man named Oliver, and he brought food. Also he didn't pretended to know her. They just talked and laughed.

« I like you Oliver. I hope I liked you before. »

« I think you did. I liked you too. But it's kinda more fun now since you are exactly the same as you always has been, only weirder. »

« Oh, cause I don't remember crap? »

« Cause you only seem to remember the crap! That's fun. I'm kinda not surprised that you stayed who you are, though. I was worried you'd become all soft and all. »

« Never. I'm a Peck! » she joked, she then pouted in sort of disgust mixed with exhaustion, « Wow, I don't know were that came from but it sounded fun. »

« And very true! » Tracy cut, while entering the room. She was hiding something behind her back.

« Guess what? »

« Cheese puffs. You're predictable, Nash. » Gail mocked.

Tracy smiled at her. « I'm sure you're just pretending to be amnesic only to get free food... »

« The old me was capable of doing _that_?! » she asked with childish glittery eyes. Red and tired eyes, but happy nonetheless.

« And worse, » Added Oliver opening the Cheese puffs.

« Way worse. » Tracy confirmed.

« Cool … I soooo wanna meet old me! »

They laughed.

Oliver and Tracy stayed a bit, joking, and went back to work. And left her alone. At last. It wasn't late. 4 said the watch on her bedside table. But again, since she had thrown the thing against the wall when she had her noises issues, the thing wasn't supposed to work anymore. It had given the same time since Tuesday.

Still, she felt it could be 4 pm. Maybe 3.

A nursed walked past her room and she shouted at her.

« Hey! Sorry lady, what's the hour and all? »

« You mean what the time is? »

« Don't brag lady OK ... I'm anestetic or amnesic or whatever. »

The nurse smiled.

« It's Thursday, 3:30 pm miss. »

« Thank you for the miss, » she said –toising- the older woman. « And, by the way, do you know if I can walk around? Cause I'm really going to die here if I cant' leave the place! » pouted Gail, with her best attempt at a baby face. A really mean baby, still a cute baby.

« I'll ask the doctor OK? Stand still. »

« Yes ma'am. »

She saw Holly coming in the hallway right in front of her room. Butterflies flew away in her stomach like a warm sun ray. She saw her smile and nod to another woman. Dressed in pink. A nurse. They exchanged a few words before Holly entered her room.

« Hey, you. How are you today? »

« Dying. » Gail answered sharply. « Who's that bitch? You know she totally checked you out when you weren't looking. Geez, what's with you lesbians can't you keep it in your pants or what?! »

Gail waited before giving away her nasty wining grin. Holly nodded.

« Well... I guess you're starting to remember … » smiled Holly.

« Not really. » Pouted the blonde, very certain of herself despite her destroyed face. « It's not that hard to say you're a lesbian, you're boob-checking me all the time. »

« Not true and very impolite. »

« True. But I don't apologize. That's the new me. »

« I don't think the old you ever apologized either … »

« I have to meet the old me! I think I'm gonna marry her. »

« Sure. »

The young intern that was supposed to be her doctor, from times to times, interrupted them. « Hey, hello Dr Stewart! So … Gail, Donna told me you wanted to walk today? »

« Who's Donna? And I never said that, I said I would die if I stayed all the time in that room. I hate walking. I hate moving at all except for sex and cheese puffs, so I've been told. »

« O … OK. Hem … Anyways! You're cleared, you can walk if you want to. But not too far. And I'd prefer someone to accompany you if it's OK? »

« Why do you ask my permission?! Give an order or don't. If not screw you! I'm not gonna report you what I do every minute! Don't you have a job to do?! »

« Sorry Doc. » Holly smiled, shaking her head, for Gail's benefit. « Hem. I'll walk her today... »

« Don't apologize for me Holly. He's supposed to know better. He went to med' school … Didn't you?! »

Holly and the young intern rolled their eyes at Gail's very serious air.

« Yah. Well then, that's an order. You walk, not far and stop being rude with me, you don't fool me... At all. »

« Yah? »

« Yah. »

« Then stop treating me like a baby and man up Doc! I might look like it but I'm not made of sugar. »

The young man smiled and nodded. « Ok. I'll come back later your highness. Don't torture Holly too much. »

« Yah, yah, I know. Go away Dorothy your kingdom is waiting for you. »

The doctor was still laughing while he walked away.

« You're in a great shape today! » remarked Holly.

« I'm starting to feel the blond power coming back at me. To me? »

« Yeah, sure. Get up. »

« Hey. I didn't know you liked to take the lead … »

Holly couldn't stop smiling. Gail could see that Holly couldn't stop smiling and it made the butterflies stronger. Which was a good thing. She liked the butterflies.

« You didn't take the cat? » asked Gail while trying not to look too weak.

« No. I came right after work. She's at home or something. Does it hurt? »

« What? » She asked with her voice hoarse.

She couldn't think strait. She didn't really listened at Holly's words, the butterflies were starting to annoy her. They made too much noise in her chest. And Holly's arm around her was burning her skin.

« Walking, Gail … Does walking hurt you? » Holly answered amused but impatient.

She had a twisted smile on her face, thought Gail. A smile mirroring another, older.

 _« You're insane … You know that right? »_

Gail closed her eyes and whined unwillingly. « How! »

Her legs gave up on her. The bright flash of a closet or small room had rushed into her like a trunk had landed on her chest. Holly was kissing her. It felt good for a second. But heavy. So heavy.

« Gail! » Holly held her head against her chest while people started running around them.

Gail felt the coldness of the floor on her bare legs. She smiled and started crying.

Across town a blue cat was watching the lights of night, thinking she would gladly cry. For whatever reason. Maybe relief. Or maybe pain.

Nevertheless, the box had inexorably been opened again.

Everything was coming back at Gail in big waves of pain and laughs.

« Hey, don't let me go lunchbox … » whispered Gail, barely audibly. « I … »

And she blacked out. Again.

 _ **oooooooooooooooooo -to be continued- oooooooooooooooooo**_

 _I'm working on the follow-up, I swear, I am! Just … not very fast!_

 _Oh, and I hope you liked the changes in layout. It's gonna change further because these french « apostrophes » bore me a little and they're gonna have to leave!_

 _That being said, hope you're all fine, happy Halloween everyone._


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